The Crow 4: a Promise to Keep
by Sorceress Millie
Summary: Spike comes back from the dead to avenge the death of his friend and to protect another friend who could be in danger. Please R&R!!


            "Wait up!!" Cried D. running after her friends, a book over her head, sheltering her from the rain. It had been days since the rain had let up, yet it never accumulated, although it did fit the mood of the dark, dreary city. A tall boy whose dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail waved to her. "Spike, you never wait for me!" Complained D, running underneath the umbrella he was carrying. 

            "Yeah well if you didn't take so damn long…." Spike replied, a bit annoyed. D just stuck her tongue out. She then turned her attention to the other boy walking with them. He had short hair and gold framed glassed that complimented his light blue eyes. He was walking silently almost ignoring his other two friends as he shuffled through the papers in his hand, at the same time trying to stay under the umbrella so as not to dampen them.

            D narrowed her eyes as pushed back her short brown hair. She had been examining her friend the moment she'd caught up with him. "Ryo, I know that look in your eyes by now, what's the problem?!" No answer. "Don't make me have to beat it out of you!" She threatened, jokingly.

            Ryo raised his head a bit. "You may not believe this, but I may have actually found out who's the cause of the local gun running issues and why no ones been able to solve it yet." He mumbled softly as he continued scanning through the papers. There was a plethora of murders and gunrunners in the city, but most seemed to tie into one unknown person who called himself "the dark night". Everyone could get drugs, illegal weaponry or anything else from this person, yet he had always been able elude the police. It seemed that this mysterious felon would never be caught.

            "So you got that info from your dad again?" D said referring to the papers. Ryo's father was one of the best police in the city. He had many files from murders, drive-by shootings, drug dealers, and everything else you could imagine found in the crime-stricken city. Ryo usually passed the time by reading the files and trying to help his dad; he planned on carrying on the "family business". 

            "Yeah I swiped them from his briefcase, but I think I really hit on something this time!" He replied in the most serious tone that Spike and D had ever heard from him. "But there's a few things that don't seem right…" 

            "Let me see those papers." Spike said in his usual commanding tone, snatching the papers from Ryo's grasp. He looked them over and smiled. "Looks like you've really got something there!" He murmured, handing the papers back. 

            "Yeah, you think you guys can help me? You usually can understand these papers better than I can." Ryo confessed, a bit embarrassed.

            "Sure, but how about tomorrow? I'm not in the mood to deal with these kinds of things today! Who knows maybe we can solve the mystery and still have time to catch a movie!" he laughed.

            D had been reading the papers over Ryo's shoulder. "Man this stuff boring! I'll come along just 'cause I have nothing better to do, but that's it!" Spike smiled sheepishly, for he knew the real reason she'd be coming. D's parents weren't exactly "parent of the year" material, as a matter of fact they were the exact opposite. D's parents were never home and when they were they were either fighting with each other or with her. D always made her own meals and usually bought groceries with money that they left on the table, for otherwise she would probably starve. Since she had no siblings she would often become lonely and usually went to Spike or Ryo's house for company. 

            As the friends rounded a corner, D went off in the other direction, heading home for the night, not before waving "goodbye". It wasn't as late as you'd think, but since it was never really sunny you couldn't tell. It usually became dark around 5 and even on a "sunny day" gloomy fog would cover the area sustaining the darkness. Upon arrival, D stood before her apartment building, staring at the cracked walls and broken windows. "Someday I'll get out of this area if I'm not killed first." She mumbled before running inside. As she walked up the stairs to her home, she kicked a bottle of obviously unnecessarily prescribed drugs out of her way, allowing the pills to scatter across the dirt-stained carpeting. After opening the door, she immediately went to her room, not caring if anyone was home or not (although they probably weren't). Inside she used a towel to dry off from the rain and then hopped onto her bed, turning her television on as she did so. The news was on explaining another murder story that had occurred only a block away from D's house. "This place is so depressing…" She mumbled before falling asleep to the sound of her own voice

            D awoke early the next morning having heard the sound of heavy knocking at her door. It was only 6am and she was still half asleep when she answered the door, still in her pajamas. Spike was there. "Spike! Hey, what are you doing here?! I didn't think you'd come this early, I'm just glad my parents aren't here, they'd have a fit!" She smiled cheerfully, happy to have some company despite the early hours. Instead of the smile being returned as Spike usually did he glared at her so sharply that it pierced through her. "Sp-Spike" She muttered softly. He just ran over to her, hugging her without a word. "What happened?!" She asked almost afraid of the answer. Eerie silence was the only response for a moment.

            "D, … R…ryo's dead…he was shot…" He muttered so softly D almost couldn't hear it. Spike wished she hadn't heard it, but those words cut through her like a knife.

            She drew back tears in her eyes. "You… Your kidding right?" She could barely force the words out. "You can't be serious!! This is just some sick joke of yours, isn't it?!" She yelled sternly. Spike just shook his head, a few tears running down his cheek. D had never seen him cry and never thought she would, for he just wasn't the type of guy to do such a thing, but nonetheless he cried softly. D soon returned the hug that he had given her before and began to cry on his shoulder. "I… I can't believe it… This can't be real!" She cried, choked by her own sobs. 

            Spike wiped away his remaining tears. "I can believe it! It was cold blooded murder!" Spike said, now filled with rage. He pulled out a small locked box from his pocket. "He was killed because of this!"

            "What are you talking about?" D asked.

            Unable to find the key that he had been carrying previously, Spike picked up a pair of scissors and stabbed at the lock until it had fallen off and then pulled out a few papers. The papers of information that Ryo'd shown Spike and D the other day were in there along with a note, dappled with blood… Ryo's blood. The note read:

            _Spike, please finish the research. I'll be killed, I know too much and they know I do. Finish the research and tell the world who did this, who killed me! Promise me this!_

            The note was crumpled, sloppy (almost illegible), and obviously put into the box in a hurry, for when found, the ends of the paper had been sticking out. He read it aloud to D who was still busy wiping tears from her now bloodshot eyes. "I have to finish the research… for Ryo. He knew who was in on all of the gunrunning cases and that's why they killed him. I know it is!"

            "No, you can't do this! You'll be killed too, this is too dangerous!" D implored. "I can't stand to lose my other friend! I'll be all alone then!!" Tears began to well up in here eyes once more.

            "D, do you remember when we first met, when I told you that I'd always take care of you and protect you?" D nodded. Ryo wrapped his arms around her once more. "I wasn't lying. I'll always be there for you, now you have to let me do this!"

            "I can't believe you'd just leave me all alone! You came here just to tell me that my best friend is dead and that now my other best friend is going to embark on a suicidal mission!? You just can't do this! It's insane!" She yelled, now sounding somewhat angered. She pushed Spike away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But if you need to do this, who am I to stop you?!" she finally said, still angry.

            Spike began to walk away, then stopping at the doorway to look back at D. "Look, nothing bad will happen to me. I could always use your help, so if you feel better later or whenever just drop by. You know where I'll be." D glued her eyes to the floor, refusing to listen to him, standing perfectly still until finally she heard the door slam. She looked up for a moment and then sat on the ground, fixated on the small box in which Ryo's note had been found.

            Hours of silence and mourning passed with D staring at Ryo's now empty box. A chill ran down D's spine as she stood up. "I… I should apologize." she decided. Before walking out the door she quickly washed the tearstains from her face and changed out of her pajamas and into a blue top and a pair of faded blue jeans that were torn at the knee. Walking down the street she saw a car speed by swerving, nearly running her over before the driver floored the vehicle. "Damn drunkards!" she mumbled under her breath. She noticed a strange red substance dappled on windows of the speeding car. She seen decided the redness must have been rust, for a decent car was rarely seen even passing through the city, but nonetheless, her concern for Spike grew rapidly as she raced over to his house. 

            When there she noticed 3 police cars parked in front. Seeing this she froze dead in her tacks. "Spike… can't be…. No…" She could only force out a few words, but still, she forced herself into the house. Spike also lived in an apartment, so the police must have been there, investigating a druggie or murder in another room D had convinced herself. In Spike's doorway, a group of policemen stood in her way, protesting her entrance, yet she ignored them and pushed her way through. There in the living room, she saw Spike's body motionless, covered in blood, and completely mangled. 

            She felt the cold icy hand of a cop fall onto her shoulder. "Ten gunshots… he's your boyfriend? I'm really sorry." The policeman said as sympathetic as possible.

            "He's not my boyfriend." She mumbled under her breath. "He's not even my friend as far as I'm concerned! You said you'd always take care of me! Instead you just left me all alone! You promised!" She yelled angrily before running out of the house and back to her own where she sat alone in her room, not crying, not angry, not feeling anything. She didn't even know what to think, all she knew was she was alone and missed her best friends. Although they only died, she felt somewhat betrayed by them.

A few months later…

            A large crow nearby flew over to Spike's grave. It cooed sympathetically as if paying its respects. Suddenly the earth underneath the bird began to shift and move. The bird hopped onto the tombstone as if it was watching, waiting. Spike suddenly arose from the grave, his face pale and his eyes dark and cold. He held his arms, cold and confused, he stumbled to his feet, struggling to maintain balance. He stared at the crow that sat on his grave as it gestured to the tombstone with its beak. Spike read aloud: "Spike McKalo, Died August 15 2002." He backed away and suddenly lost his balance, falling backward and landing on his back. He lay there for a moment, thinking. "I'm… I'm dead!?" He yelled angrily. "But what… how did I die??!" He held his head in pain. His entire body ached all over. Trying to ignore the pain, he pulled himself to his feet. "D.. I promised her…" The crow suddenly took flight and Spike followed the bird that seemed to be beckoning him.

            He was soon led back to his house. As he wandered inside he noticed that the place had been trashed as if someone had been looking for something. Although he couldn't exactly remember his death he knew what they were looking for, the papers he'd taken from Ryo the day he died.  He wondered if they had found it and taken it, if so his resurrection would have all been in vain. He looked under his bed and  felt around for a loose board. *Creeeaaak!* He'd found it! Inside was a wad of cash, some old pendants, and the papers. Upon contact with them the memories of his death came rushing back to him:

            _There was a knock on the door that day. An ominous feeling had rushed down his spine as he placed the papers under the board beneath his bed along with the other important things he'd furtively hidden. Spike took a deep breath before reaching for the door. A large cracking sound was heard followed by slivers of broken wood soaring through the air as the tall door fell with a thump. A tall lanky man with dark messy hair smiled evilly at Spike and unsheathed a dagger that was attached to his belt. "So your dead buddy wasn't warning enough for ya!? Well guess we're gonna have to kill the nosey lil' bastard, huh guys?" With that 2 others appeared. One had short reddish hair and carried a large gun. The other had dark brown hair and also had a gun that was smaller than his redhead friend. The two nodded as they rushed at Spike._

_            Spike swiftly dodged the two attackers and ran at the dark haired man who seemed to be the leader. He immediately punched the man in the face causing his nose to bleed. "You killed my friend you bastard!" Spike yelled angrily. Suddenly he felt a gun brush across his face harshly, knocking him to the ground. Spike spit out the blood from his mouth and forced himself to his feet, but before his could a shot was fired. He looked back in time to see his own blood spray across the room and then he saw darkness. Another shot rang in his ears and the words "Find those goddamn papers!" were the last thing he remembered hearing. Then there was nothing… he was dead._

            Tears involuntarily ran from Spike's eyes. "That's right… they killed me and they killed Ryo! I… I'm not dead, they are! I'll find them all and show them what death is like!" With that he slammed his fist on the floor, causing a shard of discarded glass to jet through his skin. Blood rushed freely from the now opened laceration, but soon before Spike's eyes the skin regenerated not even leaving a scar. He stared at his hand in awe.

"I have to find D… I need to make sure they didn't hurt her and that she's alright!" He opened one of his drawers and changed into a new shirt, it was black and a little bit torn, never less it was still better than the torn mud-covered shirt, if you could even call it that anymore, that he had been wearing. He soon found an old pair of boots that were under a fallen shelf. He didn't care much that his jeans were a bit muddy for they soon would be covered in blood anyway. He took a quick glance in the mirror, curious as to weather or not he looked the same in death as he did when he was alive. There were strange black patterns around his eyes and his lips had turned completely black. In contrast, his face was completely white, making it look as if he'd painted his face. As he walked out the door, he mumbled D's name and headed over to her house.

            D had been sitting in her room thinking, her thoughts only interrupted every once in a while by the sounds of loud gunshots or police sirens. Ever since the deaths of Ryo and Spike, her life had become hell on earth. She was constantly alone and since she was always home, her parents, when home, were usually abusing her both verbally and physically. It didn't matter to them that she'd lost the people most important to her. The creaking of the floorboards shifting underneath someone's feet interrupted her thoughts once more as she quickly sat up alertly. Convinced it was her father, D immediately locked her door and turned her radio up all the way in anticipation of the yelling that was to come. Only the jiggling of her doorknob was heard. "You in there?" a voice asked in a tone of voice that D was unable to recognize. 

Startled, D immediately turned off the radio and grabbed a bat that she had kept behind her bed ever since Ryo's death. "Who's there?! I have a weapon so if you're here to steal something you'd better leave now, I'm calling the police too!" She yelled, in an attempt to frighten the intruder away. 

"Oh god, you always have to make things so difficult, D!" The voice mumbled, confirming that the intruder hadn't left. Watching the doorknob jiggle a bit more, D quickly hid behind the door readying the bat for an attack. As the door slowly swung opened, the intruder was immediately met with a powerful blow to the stomach. D glared at the villain for a moment before he raised his head and stared at her with cold eyes.

D's hands loosened, allowing the bat to slip through her fingers and slam onto the floor creating a loud cracking sound that resonated through her room. "S… Spike?" She cried in disbelief. "But I saw your body… you're…" Her words were now muffled and unable to distinguish. 

Spike slowly stood up, holding his stomach in pain. "Damn, you still got that amazing abusive aim you're so famous for." He laughed a bit. "Why are you surprised? You know Spike never breaks a promise and I said I'd always be there to protect you!" He smiled brightly, comforted by the sight of his good friend. D could only back away as Spike approached her, afraid of why her friend's ghost had come. "Jeez I thought you'd be more excited to see me! I came back to life to see you and you shun me!" Spike complained, crossing his arms in disappointment.

Suddenly he felt D's hand on his shoulder. She smiled with the realization that Spike had only come to see once again. "It's funny, Spike, you haven't changed a bit… except for your face! You look like some kind of Mime from hell!" laughed D, wrapping her arms around Spike. "I'm so sorry…" She muttered, still in disbelief of her friend's arrival.

"What are you sorry for… It's not like you shot me or anything! You didn't, did you?!" Spike said jokingly. D was astonished how despite all that happened  Spike was still the sarcastic, joking friend that she'd known since childhood. His tone of voice was very comforting to her, for she'd missed hearing his soft deep voice that you would have thought belonged to a model. "Hey, D?" Spike coughed out the words uneasily.

"Yeah?" D asked, still hugging Spike.

"I can't breath!!" Spike Yelled, now desperate for air.

D immediately released her grasp and blushed a bit. "Sorry." She paused for a moment and stared at spike, confused. "Since when do ghosts need to breath." She asked, head tilted quizzitively.

"What do I look like? The ghost expert?" Spike grumbled. D stared at him sternly. "Oh yeah, that's right, I'm a ghost!" he laughed a bit. His tone suddenly changed drastically as he turned to D, a serious look on his face. "You know I can't stay here for long? I've got ghostly unfinished business stuff to do." He mumbled under his breath. D sank, a depressed look immediately covering her face. "No, I will be back! Before I go for good, I want to have dinner with you, okay?" He smiled, a bit fake, hoping to fool his friend. D smiled back and nodded, already aware of the fact that he wouldn't be able to remain there. "Now don't forget, you always promised you'd cook for me so, dinner's on you!" With that he stood up.

D followed and grabbed his arm, stopping his departure at the moment. "I promise, this'll be the greatest meal you've ever tasted!" She announced before releasing her grasp on his arm.

Spike just smiled and waved before exiting the small, deteriorating apartment. He didn't have the heart to tell to tell D that his unfinished business was the disposal of his murderers, although he was somewhat looking forward to the task. 

(Now's the fun part where I get to start bumping people off! ::smiles evilly:: Anyways please Read and Review! Tell me if I should keep going! To all you anime fans… wouldn't the Hellsing theme be great going with this if it were a movie?! ^.^ Also yes I named the main character after Spike Spiegal…. I was looking at my Bebop Poster when I named him (D's actually got my nickname! Lol !) -.-! Oh well… By the way didn't they use "Mime from hell" in one of the Crow movies.. if not, I RULE for makin' it up! YAY!)


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